Anyone who has ever been on a hike, inebriated late at night, or refreshed early in the morning can tell you that the best conversations cannot be forced. When the air is fresh, the senses focused, the mood right – only at such times will the Muse begin her song. Classrooms are ill-suited for genuine, in-depth conversations.

This article is not about the shortcomings of any system of education. For now, I accept that broad-scale education cannot be as inspiring as a walk through the woods or a twilight dialogue. But it can be better than it is right now.

Photo by Jim in Times Square

It’s a gap-filler. A few niches have been created where the current offering of gadgets is inadequate for whatever reason, and the iPad can cater to many of them.

The iTab isn’t a replacement for anything Apple is selling right now. I’m not buying one, and I’d be surprised if many of my friends do. I simply don’t buy Steve’s claim that the iPad does things the iPhone and Macbook do – but better.

But I do think Apple has the opportunity to take hold of new and developing markets.

I go to the same place almost every day for lunch. It’s called Java House. It’s basically a really big shack on the marina. I like to look at the sailboats. I love it. The food is okay, but mostly I go because I love the environment and people.

The owner, Philip, hates that I do web design. Every time I come in, he’s like “What’s your business?” and I’m like “Philip! It’s Internet!” and he’s like “Ahhh, I don’t understand that stuff. It’s God’s curse to us. Just you wait, we’ll all be robots in 10 years!” and then I tell him off and he waves me off.

Photo by Adam Foster.

The Internet is a medium for human interaction.

Even when we use an intelligent and automated web application, we interact with the humans who created it. Their choices, tastes, words, designs, failures, and successes are all contained within the code that serves us. You cannot escape the humanity of the Internet.

Other experiences begin the transition away from direct, human interaction. Instant Messaging like with AIM or MSN Messenger is still direct communication, but the human aspect of it is lessened by the introduction of a person’s “cyber-ego” (or “online identity”).

Look:

A girl – no more than eight years old – walks with her father down the street on a cold night.

As they approach a turn, she notices a shivering man sitting on the sidewalk. Without hesitation, she removes her scarf and hands it to the shivering man. There is kindness in her eyes but no pride.

Her father looks at her with concern, then surprise, and then asks stupidly, “What are you doing?”

The girl looks up at her father and replies simply, “There’s nothing of interest in what I’ve done. I found someone in need and gave him my excess.”

Just a quick tip more for my own absence of memory than for your interest:
To embed YouTube videos in high quality, append the video source with &ap=%2526fmt%3D18. (For high definition, use &ap=%2526fmt%3D22.)
To link directly to the high quality version of a YouTube video, append the URL with &fmt=18. (For high definition, use &fmt=22.)

Leif Ericson Middle School doesn’t educate students beyond the sixth grade. When I attended, the graduating class was to sing I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly. The preparation for this event was a source of annoyance and embarrassment for the students participating, but that’s not relevant right now.

One day, during rehearsal, a rare moment of revelry was permitted to continue beyond a few seconds.

It is vital for the growth of children and adults alike to create as well as consume. This is especially true for our youngsters, who may not remember a time when the world wasn’t accessible from a desk chair. We have to show them – remind them – that the world they experience doesn’t merely exist. Rather, it is built.

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar

I tend to exhibit the negative qualities of those people who upset me. For example, if I’m treated with disinterest or am dismissed, I’ll likely become and do the same. Unfortunately, I won’t merely “return the favor” to the person who upset me; rather, I’ll embody those characteristics to anyone who encounters me. Eventually I’ll cool down, but by that point I am left feeling cold, alone, and full of remorse. Why is it so easy to disrupt my peace? Why is it so hard to regain once it has been disrupted?

In the Game of Life, there are Trump cards: An entire suit consisting of cards which rise above The Game to play by different rules and thereby redefine the Game itself. Trumps compete only with other Trumps – if they even come across each other. This isn’t to say a Trump won’t trounce all over an average card. They will. But they’ll feel no pride for having done so.